Admiration...and a nagging question

[Effie]

I think this interview with Malala is a must-see: http://www.businessinsider.com/malala-y ... ss-2013-10 (not breaking link cause it's a news site). Malala said that life was good before the Taliban. That's exactly what someone here said: how quickly such things can change. What's more interesting about this clip is something that is worth repeating: education makes you more powerful. Talibans, just like fundies, don't want to give women education cause they know that would make women more powerful (and they can't have that).

[bean]

I watched that interview the other night too. She completely blew me away, that doesn't happen very often. That girl is amazing.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I saw her interview on The Daily Show. She was about 1000x more eloquent than most of the other guests on the show.

I really hope she wins the Nobel Peace Prize today. The Taliban tried to kill her in order to silence her. Let them see her become a shining example all over the world.

[Hane]

Re Afghanistan: It's depressing to note that the US got involved there a few decades ago to drive out the Soviets. Guess who our alies were on that successful effort. They begin with a T.

[Talitha Cumi]

It will never happen. I don't know how much longer the fundamentalist movement as it exists now can even sustain itself, let alone achieve domination over the entire country. They're churning out rapidly aging stay-at-home daughters and ignorant and uneducated sons who work as used car salesmen. Yes, they have some support from rich and powerful people, but consider this: being against abortion and gay marriage is one thing, but there are not NEARLY enough rich and powerful people in the U.S. who would be okay with having to give up birth control, alcohol and mortgages to let fundies have their way. They are a very loud minority and they seem louder to us because we pay so much attention to them, but they will never come close to achieving the dominion they desire.

Not only that, but the pro-business rich Republicans are freaking out now that the Tea Party is holding government hostage. They thought they could whip up the lunatic base and still control them with money, but the crazies have taken over and are seriously threatening the economy. Now the rich elite Republicans are going to be funding moderate candidates.

[salex]

Not only that, but the pro-business rich Republicans are freaking out now that the Tea Party is holding government hostage. They thought they could whip up the lunatic base and still control them with money, but the crazies have taken over and are seriously threatening the economy. Now the rich elite Republicans are going to be funding moderate candidates.

Are they? I'm ready for the Kochs to stand down but haven't seen it yet.

[rward]

When a couple of my friends said they wanted TX to secede and they would move there I mentioned that during my many biz trips to TX, I have learned that more than a few Texans are not all that happy with the number of people moving to their state now-- much less if they really were "a whole other country."

I also ask, how long they believe it would be before TX would be wholly owned by the Mexican Drug Lords? (You know, the people who brought us the fun stuff in Juarez)

it would take less than 2 weeks for the Mexican drug cartels to take over.

OT: I used to live in El Paso, TX (the US's only metropolis with Juarez, Mexico). It makes me sad to see what it has become since I left. Yes, gangs and drugs were always an issue, but the majority of people in El Paso/Juarez were just people looking to get by and provide for their families. The culture was an amazing mix of Mexican, Native, general American and Tex Mex. It was a vibrant city, filled with interesting people. Now it's a war zone.

[Talitha Cumi]

Are they? I'm ready for the Kochs to stand down but haven't seen it yet.

There was a New York Times article yesterday, but now I can't find it. Grrr. The Kochs are still going, but a movement is definitely growing to fund moderate opposition.

[salex]

There was a New York Times article yesterday, but now I can't find it. Grrr. The Kochs are still going, but a movement is definitely growing to fund moderate opposition.

Good. I was hoping I'd not be living in a christian burka/frumper in my old age. My husband keeps saying they will bury themselves, but I worry at how interconnected the fundies all are. Hooray for moderates!

[JesusFightClub]

Neither centuries nor decades. Women's rights can be overturned in a heartbeat, and the rights of the working class already have been nullified without any demos or any significant protest.

For a start, imagine that you have lived in a house for 30 years. You don't make very much money, because you're a cleaner and your husband is a binman (works for the council, a "refuse operative"). But you've stayed in council housing for 30 years and you're happy with the situation. You know your neighbours, they're friends. Your children have grown up and left, but you still see them a lot.

All of a sudden you are told by the council that you're selfishly occupying too many rooms. As someone who's sucking on the government teat, all you deserve is a room for you and your husband and it doesn't matter how big the room is. If it can fit a double bed in, that's enough for you. You don't deserve to have your children stay over, because you're a welfare scrounger and they don't deserve a family life. If you won't move, it's time you paid for the extra rooms the council gave you before they realised you were benefits scum.

This may come as something of a shock. You had ridiculously expected that your contribution to society was valued. You're not a banker, so naw. You're on a zero hour contract, which is all you are due because you were too stupid at school (and you went to some povvo high school anyway if you even went to high school at all). In short, you failed at being a capitalist so you need to be punished.

That's life in 21stC UK. Have fun.

[MysteryHaggis]

Neither centuries nor decades. Women's rights can be overturned in a heartbeat, and the rights of the working class already have been nullified without any demos or any significant protest.

For a start, imagine that you have lived in a house for 30 years. You don't make very much money, because you're a cleaner and your husband is a binman (works for the council, a "refuse operative"). But you've stayed in council housing for 30 years and you're happy with the situation. You know your neighbours, they're friends. Your children have grown up and left, but you still see them a lot.

All of a sudden you are told by the council that you're selfishly occupying too many rooms. As someone who's sucking on the government teat, all you deserve is a room for you and your husband and it doesn't matter how big the room is. If it can fit a double bed in, that's enough for you. You don't deserve to have your children stay over, because you're a welfare scrounger and they don't deserve a family life. If you won't move, it's time you paid for the extra rooms the council gave you before they realised you were benefits scum.

This may come as something of a shock. You had ridiculously expected that your contribution to society was valued. You're not a banker, so naw. You're on a zero hour contract, which is all you are due because you were too stupid at school (and you went to some povvo high school anyway if you even went to high school at all). In short, you failed at being a capitalist so you need to be punished.

That's life in 21stC UK. Have fun.

I can't like this post enough. Fucking Tory scumbags.